Investing.com – Belgium equities were higher at the close on Friday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Chemicals and Technology sectors propelled shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 0.88% to hit a new 3-year high.
The biggest gainers of the session on the BEL 20 were Befimmo-Sicafi (BRU:BEFBb), which rose 4.16% or 2.670 points to trade at 66.790 at the close. Solvay (BRU:SOLB) added 1.88% or 2.60 points to end at 140.95 and Cofinimmo-Sicafi (BRU:COFB) was up 1.64% or 1.80 points to 111.75 in late trade.
Biggest losers included Belgacom (BRU:BCOM), which lost 0.41% or 0.14 points to trade at 33.65 in late trade. GDF Suez (PARIS:GSZ) declined 0.06% or 0.01 points to end at 19.26 and D'Ieteren (D) (BRU:IETB) gained 0.18% or 0.060 points to 33.880.
Advancing stocks outnumbered falling ones by 125 to 48 and 6 ended unchanged on the Brussels Stock Exchange.
In commodities trading, Gold for June delivery was up 1.09% or 13.00 to $1206.60 a troy ounce. Meanwhile, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 1.71% or 0.87 to hit $51.66 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 2.01% or 1.14 to trade at $57.70 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.51% to 1.0603, while EUR/GBP fell 0.12% to 0.7236.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.38% at 99.62.